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Ginsburg and Huq on Constitutional Democracy and What Can Be Done to Preserve Checks and Balances

In New Book, Scholars Assess “How to Save a Constitutional Democracy”

Jerome McDonnell
December 18, 2018
Worldview

The fundamentals of Western-style Democracy are under threat across the globe. In the U.S., the electoral system is distorted by gerrymandering, campaign finance issues, and voter suppression. President Donald Trump, and other populist politicians, have repeatedly threatened and attacked U.S. institutionslike the courts, the press, and civil service. These attacks are supported by right-wing media, pundits, and citizens. Democratic countries, including Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Philippines, Turkey, and Venezuela, have seen their democracies deteriorate at the hands of populist leaders and movements. To discuss, we’re joined by constitutional scholars, Tom Ginsberg and Aziz Huq. They’ve assessed what can be done to preserve the system of checks and balances in their new book,How to Save A Constitutional Democracy. Ginsburg is professor of political science and international law at the University of Chicago, and Huq is a professor of law at the University of Chicago.